Gary Turco

Last week I shared my legislative priorities. I expound on them in the video below. Please take a moment and watch!

Also in this newsletter you will find information on the following:

• a General Law Committee public hearing on social media and medical credit card bills;
• Access Health CT special enrollment period;
• Remote Access Medical medical, dental and vison events;
• the upcoming Lunar Year Celebration;
• and the statewide Student Loan Reimbursement Program.

Have a great weekend!

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, there will be a public hearings on several key bills in the General Law Committee, including the following:

• H.B. No. 5037 AN ACT PROMOTING THE SAFETY OF MINORS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.
• H.B. No. 5127 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL CREDIT CARDS 

The public hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in Room 1A of the LOB and on Zoom and YouTube Live.

Please click here if you wish to speak on the matters or submit written testimony.

I hope to see you there!

People who qualify for this Special Enrollment Period include: 

• Households with an annual income between 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), who are not already enrolled in the Covered CT Program. These people will receive a state subsidy to replace 100% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
• Households with an annual income over 400% and up to 500% FPL. These people will receive a state subsidy to replace 50% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.  

Eligible people who have already enrolled or plan to enroll in a 2026 health plan will see a credit applied to their carrier bill.
 
It’s important to note that while customers will not see the state subsidy amount in AHCT’s online system until all updates have been made in the coming weeks, all eligible customers will soon receive a notice in the mail from AHCT with the amount of their state subsidy.

Insurance companies will send consumers updated premium bills with the credit for the state subsidy amount. This manual process will begin soon in advance of the system updates to be implemented in the coming weeks.

Free help to sign up is available online, in person, and over the phone.
 
Customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com and click the “Get Help” button on the homepage to find the option that works best for them—including scheduling an appointment, finding a nearby Navigator site or working with a Certified Broker in their area.
 
AHCT has expanded its Navigator program to include six locations around the state and introduced a new Mobile Enrollment Team that supports community events and assists with in-person enrollment, available in English and Spanish.
 
To get help over the phone, customers can call 855-805-4325 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Help is available in over 100 languages.
 
Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call with a relay operator.
 
For free help online, customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com. They can also chat live with a customer service representative by clicking the “Live Chat” icon on the website. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Governor Ned Lamont announced that the Connecticut Student Loan Reimbursement Program has opened a new grant round and is now accepting applications for student loan payments that were made during the 2025 calendar year.

Since launching its first grant round in January 2025, the program has awarded more than $2.2 million in reimbursements to borrowers statewide.

Eligible applicants can apply for reimbursement grants of up to $5,000 per year, with a maximum reimbursement of $20,000 over four years. Under the program, a new grant round launches each year, providing reimbursements for payments made during the preceding calendar year.

Eligible applicants may qualify if they:

• Are Connecticut residents and meet program residency requirements
• Made qualifying student loan payments during the 2025 calendar year
• Earned a degree from a Connecticut institution of higher education or completed a state-approved program required for professional licensure or certification
• Meet income limits of $125,000 for single filers or $175,000 for married filers
• Completed required community service or qualify for a hardship waiver in certain circumstances

Applications must be submitted online through the CT Scholars portal, where applicants need to complete an application and upload required documentation. Applications will be reviewed on a first come first serve basis through December 2026 or until funds are exhausted.

Click here for application instructions. Questions regarding the program and the application process can be directed to OHE.SLRP@ct.gov.